naturalize
verb
nat·u·ral·ize
ˈna-ch(ə-)rə-ˌlīz 
naturalized; naturalizing
1
: to confer the rights of a national on
especially
: to admit to citizenship
2
: to introduce into common use or into the vernacular
3
: to bring into conformity with nature
4
: to cause (something, such as a plant) to become established as if native
: to become established as if native
Examples of naturalize in a Sentence
The government refused to naturalize them without documentation.
naturalized citizens of the U.S.
Several Asian fish have become naturalized in these lakes.
Before you naturalize bulbs in your lawn, fertilize well.
These daisies naturalize well in the Pacific Northwest.
Recent Examples on the Web
Those naturalized Wednesday were all lawful permanent residents, and the judge presiding over the ceremony differentiated the legal immigration process from the flood of non-citizens crossing the country's southern border the past several years.
—
Nadia Scharf, The Indianapolis Star, 4 July 2024
Fifty candidates for United State citizenship were naturalized Saturday evening in a speical ceremony at Children’s Mercy Park before Sporting Kansas City’s match against Austin FC.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 30 June 2024
Clue: This naturalized U.S. citizen who hosted Jeopardy!
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 21 June 2024
On April 1, the cost of the application to naturalize rose as much as 19% for some applicants.
—Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for naturalize 
Nadia Scharf, The Indianapolis Star, 4 July 2024
Fifty candidates for United State citizenship were naturalized Saturday evening in a speical ceremony at Children’s Mercy Park before Sporting Kansas City’s match against Austin FC.
—Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 30 June 2024
Clue: This naturalized U.S. citizen who hosted Jeopardy!
—Denise Petski, Deadline, 21 June 2024
On April 1, the cost of the application to naturalize rose as much as 19% for some applicants.
—Lauren Villagran, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for naturalize
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'naturalize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Naturalize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/naturalize. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
naturalize
verb
nat·u·ral·ize
ˈnach-(ə-)rə-ˌlīz
naturalized; naturalizing
1
: to introduce into common use
naturalize a foreign word
2
: to become or cause to become established as if native
naturalized weeds
3
: to give the rights and privileges of citizenship to
naturalize a foreign-born person
Legal Definition
naturalize
transitive verb
nat·u·ral·ize
ˈna-chə-rə-ˌlīz
naturalized; naturalizing
: to admit (a person) to citizenship
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